JORDANVILLE, NY: 19 November, 2024
Archbishop Peter of Chicago and Mid-America is buried at Holy Trinity Monastery

On Monday, November 18, 2024, the feast day of Holy Confessor Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, the burial of Archbishop Peter of Chicago and Mid-America took place at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY. The day before, on the 21st Sunday after Pentecost, His Grace Bishop Luke of Syracuse, the brethren, seminarians and pilgrims of the monastery met the coffin with the body of the deceased, which was brought to Holy Trinity Cathedral for the services. That evening, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, arrived at the holy community from Chicago, accompanied by the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign."

Divine Liturgy on Monday, November 18, was celebrated by the conciliar priestly rite of the brethren of the monastery and visiting priests. After the memorial meal, Metropolitan Nicholas led a pannikhida at the coffin. Concelebrating were His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada; Bishop Luke; His Grace Bishop Seraphim of Kostajnica, Vicar of the Diocese of New Gracanica and Chicago (Serbian Orthodox Church), and His Grace Bishop Jerome (Shaw), who graduated from Holy Trinity Seminary with the late archpastor in 1971; along with clergy of the Dioceses of Canada, Mid-America, and Eastern America, brethren and other clergymen. Metropolitan Nicholas gave a eulogy in which he touched upon the Jordanville period of Vladyka Peter’s life. Here the late hierarch had studied, having enrolled upon the repose of his beloved hiararch, Archbishop John (Maximovich); later he taught, was tonsured a monk, assisted the future Metropolitan Laurus, was the Secretary of the Monastic Council and the Inspector of Holy Trinity Seminary. It was thanks to his teaching, the exemplary churchly life he led and his memories of the pillars of the Russian Church Abroad, many of whom he knew personally, that many became clergymen or active members of the Church.

At the end of the pannikhida, a procession of the cross took place around the monastery cathedral, which ended with a litany at the grave of Archbishop Peter and the rite of burial. Vladyka Peter was buried next to his predecessor, Archbishop Alypy (Gamanovich) of blessed memory, in the fraternal cemetery of the monastery.

Photos: Archpriest Vasily Zeleniuk.